Rick Flores, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman, said the man was bitten on the upper right side of his chest about 9:30 a.m., suffering puncture wounds described as moderate injuries. He was taken to a hospital conscious and breathing on his own, Flores said.

The attack started when a person fishing off the Manhattan Beach Pier hooked the shark and spent over 30 minutes trying to reel it in, which, Flores said, made the shark grow agitated and take out more and more fishing line.

The victim was in a group of long-distance swimmers about 275 metres off the beach swimming past the pier, where Flores said the shark bit the man.

The fisherman cut the line, and a surfer put the injured swimmer on his board, taking the victim ashore with the help of Los Angeles County lifeguards. Paramedics began treating the man.